Virtual Schools, Actual Learning [PDF file]
Online Education Becomes a Valid Option
Author(s): William Donovan — Publication date: 2011-12-05
Category: Education
Abstract: Virtual schools, in which students learn through courses offered, overseen and assessed through the Internet without traveling to a bricks-and-mortar location, are rapidly becoming a popular and important option in the education mix. Thirty states, as well as Washington, D.C., have statewide full-time online schools with many showing annual growth rates of 25 percent.1 Nationally, there are an estimated 200,000 full-time virtual school students, according to the International Association for K-12 Online Learning (iNACOL).
This paper is intended to provide background information for those exploring full-time virtual schools and online learning. It draws on interviews with education officials, virtual school directors, district superintendents, researchers and non-profit executives, as well as data generated by previous studies on the topic. 20th Anniversary Better Government Retrospective [PDF file]
Author(s): — Publication date: 2011-09-13
Category: Better Government
Abstract: John Blundell, former Director General and Ralph Harris Fellow at the Institute of Economic Affairs, offers a great history of how the Competition was created. The impact of the Competition has been enormous—whether saving the Commonwealth well over half a billion dollars, improving key services, or in simply making it safe to advance bold ideas in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
In the pages that follow, we give you only the briefest glimpse of the Competition’s impact here and across the country. Innovative Medical Liability Reform [PDF file]
Traditional and Non-Traditional Methods
Author(s): John Biebelhausen and Amy Lischko — Publication date: 2011-09-01
Category: Better Government
Abstract: This paper describes Massachusetts’ existing medical liability system, including how it has failed to achieve its social objectives, the impact of the system on health care costs, and recent efforts towards reform. It presents policy options for medical liability reform. It examines both traditional and nontraditional avenues of reform along with strategies for advancing medical liability reform in Massachusetts. Recovering from a Recession [PDF file]
The Role of Start-Ups
Author(s): John Friar — Publication date: 2011-08-04
Category: Economic Opportunity
Abstract: This paper reviews the factors contributing to Massachusetts' failure to recover from the recession as quickly as the rest of the country. The paper analyzes employment trends in Massachusetts from 1990 to 2007, with particular focus on the years immediately following the 1990-1991 and 2001 recessions and on the different impacts on growth trends made by young and old firms. For the purposes of this analysis, ‘young firms’ are defined as firms from birth to 3 years old. Older firms are any firms operating in the state for more than 3 years. A Practitioner's Guide to Outsourcing [PDF file]
An Opportunity to Improve Cost and Service Quality?
Author(s): Stephen Lisauskas — Publication date: 2011-07-12
Category: Better Government
Abstract: In the paper, author Stephen Lisauskas, Pioneer’s Senior Fellow on Urban Revitalization, explores the benefits and challenges of outsourcing, or contracting with a third party for a service that would otherwise be provided by an organization’s employees. Outsourcing can involve contracting services to the private sector, to another government or a regional government, and to non-profit agencies. Houses of Learning [PDF file]
The Charter Public School Facilities Process
Author(s): William Donovan — Publication date: 2011-06-28
Category: Education
Abstract: By creating a facilities team comprised of well-connected, local professionals with relevant expertise; drawing up a development plan that specifies school needs, desired location, and financial capacity; and taking advantage of available funding sources, charter schools can clear the often daunting hurdle of finding appropriate facilities, according to, a new White Paper published by Pioneer Institute.
Despite 2010 legislation that raised the cap on Massachusetts charter schools and the state Board of Elementary and Secondary Education’s approval of 16 new charters in February, finding appropriate facilities is still a challenge for many charter schools. Houses of Learning: The Charter Public School Facilities Process is meant to serve as a helpful resource for charter operators in Massachusetts and across the country who are increasingly confronted with decisions that require expertise in real estate development, zoning, public procurement regulations, construction, and finance.
Business Solutions to the Health Care Crunch [PDF file]
Innovations in Health Care Insurance Plan Design
Author(s): Amy Lischko, Ph.D. and Cristi Carman — Publication date: 2011-06-23
Category: Better Government
Abstract: Business Solutions to the Health Care Crunch is meant to spark a dialog about existing actions that smaller businesses can take to maintain a healthy workforce and improve their bottom line. METCO Merits More [PDF file]
The History and Status of METCO
Author(s): Susan Eaton and Gina Chirichigno — Publication date: 2011-06-16
Category: Education
Abstract: Massachusetts’ METCO program (Metropolitan Council for Educational Opportunity) enables about 3,300 students who live in Boston and Springfield to attend opportunity-rich suburban schools. Since the vast majority of the students in METCO are either African American or Latino and most suburban districts remain overwhelmingly white, METCO fulfills two goals: it creates a degree of racial and ethnic diversity and provides students who’d otherwise attend challenged school districts the opportunity to attend schools with reputations for rigor and excellence. The Big Shrink: Declining Establishment Size in Massachusetts [PDF file]
Author(s): John Friar — Publication date: 2011-05-31
Category: Economic Opportunity
Abstract: The Big Shrink adds to our understanding by examining the shrinking size of Massachusetts’ firms and the causes of this economy-wide phenomenon in order to determine whether the trend has systemic impacts on our economy and, therefore, one hopes, on policy formation. The paper finds that reduction in firm size is widespread, holding true for all industries and most establishment types. More specifically, the average firm size in all industries shrank from 1990 to 2007, except for manufacturing. Further, the average size of branch and standalone firms shrank dramatically. Be Not Afraid: A History of Catholic Schooling in Massachusetts [PDF file]
Author(s): Cara Stillings Candal, Ed.D. — Publication date: 2011-03-15
Category: Education
Abstract: The Catholic school mission, and the Catholic school community’s ability to fulfill it, is precisely why the current crisis in Catholic education merits urgent attention. The following policy paper explores the history of Catholic education in Massachusetts and, more specifically, in the Archdiocese of Boston. With an eye to the Church’s educational mission and how it has changed over time in Boston, this work goes on to review the many sociological, political, and historical factors that have contributed to the current financial and enrollment crises in urban Catholic education in Massachusetts. Fixing the Massachusetts Health Exchange [PDF file]
Author(s): Amy Lischko, Ph.D. — Publication date: 2011-03-09
Category: Better Government
Abstract: The 2011 Massachusetts health care landscape, while significantly altered, is still facing the same core issue as in 2006 of increasing costs. The 2006 law has delivered on many of its promises, but has failed to achieve affordability and choice for health insurance coverage for many residents in Massachusetts.
The Commonwealth Health Insurance Connector Authority (Connector), the exchange entity responsible for implementing the health reform law, was designed to assist both individuals and businesses in acquiring affordable, high-quality health care coverage. Legislators, Connector board members and staff should take this opportunity to fully evaluate the Connector’s strengths and weaknesses and determine where it can make changes to better position itself in the post-ACA environment. Such reforms could include greater consumer control of health dollars and choice, an emphasis on wellness, and greater transparency within the overall health care system. This issue brief provides some recommendations for moving Massachusetts forward. Contracting for Performance [PDF file]
Teacher Union Contract Langiage in Massachusetts
Author(s): Pioneer Institute — Publication date: 2011-01-21
Category: Education
Abstract: A study of teacher contracts in 25 Massachusetts school districts finds they range from “professional” to “factory” models, with high-achieving districts more likely to have contracts that give teachers flexibility to make decisions. Agenda for Leadership 2010: Hit the Ground Running [PDF file]
Pioneer Institute’s Agenda for Leadership for 2010 and Beyond
Author(s): James Stergios — Publication date: 2010-10-27
Category: Better Government
Abstract: Whoever wins the election this November will need to make tough decisions about policy, budget priorities, and the role of government. Massachusetts has lost 300,000 jobs over the past decade, has exhausted its rainy day and stimulus funds, and faces a billion-dollar structural budget deficit. Hit the Ground Running, Pioneer Institute’s 2010 Agenda for Leadership series, is a must-read for newly elected officials seeking fresh but practical ideas for effective government across seven major policy areas: education reform, health care, job creation, government transparency, transportation, rebuilding our cities, and managing the budget. Education Tax Credits [PDF file]
A Review of the Rhode Island Program and Assessment of Possibilities in Massachusetts
Author(s): Matthew P. Steinberg — Publication date: 2010-10-19
Category: Education
Abstract: In 2007, Pioneer Institute offered
groundbreaking, first-in-the-nation research
on the expansion of educational opportunities
for low-income students via tax benefits. That report outlined and assessed education tax credit programs in Florida, Minnesota, and Arizona. Building on that research, this policy brief reviews the new tax credit program in Rhode Island which facilitates the transfer of students from public to private schools with the assistance of corporate-funded tuition scholarships. Charter School Caps and Strings Attached [PDF file]
The Achievement Gap Act of 2010 and Charter Policy
Author(s): Cara Stillings Candal, Ed.D — Publication date: 2010-10-13
Category: Better Government
Abstract: In January 2010, the charter school movement in Massachusetts won what is, by most accounts, an important victory. As part of a larger education reform, known as Chapter 12 of the Acts of 2010, or An Act Relative to the Achievement Gap, one of two existing charter school caps in Massachusetts was raised. The cap affected had previously limited spending on charter school tuition in all Massachusetts districts to 9 percent of a district’s total school spending. By lifting this cap in certain, low-performing districts to allow for charter school tuition to total 18 percent of total school spending, the state legislature created important educational opportunities for some
Massachusetts students, more than 24,000 of
whom are currently on charter school waitlists. Municipal Benchmarks for Massachusetts Middle Cities [PDF file]
A Look at Financial Management
Author(s): Stephen Lisauskas — Publication date: 2010-08-19
Category: Better Government
Abstract: Middle Cities in Massachusetts face a variety of financial challenges. Some of these are common to their status as local governments in New England – multiple levels of laws and regulations they must contend with, heavily unionized workforces, limited resources dedicated to addressing significant issues, and many others – or simply because they are mid-sized urban communities. Rhetoric and Reality [PDF file]
Pension Benefits for Retired Massachusetts State Workers
Author(s): James G. Bohn — Publication date: 2010-08-05
Category: Better Government
Abstract: The pension system for Massachusetts state workers and retirees has recently received a great deal of attention. Governor Deval Patrick signed reform legislation in June 2009, and additional reforms may be forthcoming. Much of the media coverage of pension issues has focused on sensational accounts of pension abuse. Common Core’s Standards Still Don’t Make the Grade [PDF file]
Why Massachusetts and California Must Regain Control Over Their Academic Destinies
Author(s): Sandra Stotsky and Ze’ev Wurman — Publication date: 2010-07-30
Category: Education
Abstract: The case for national standards rests in part on the need to remedy the inconsistent and inferior quality of many state standards and tests in order to equalize academic expectations for all students. The argument also addresses the urgent need to increase academic achievement for all students. In
mathematics and science in particular, the United States needs much higher levels of achievement than its students currently demonstrate for it to remain competitive in a global economy. Where Are the Public Safety Funds Going? [PDF file]
The Search for Clear, Concise, and Meaningful Information
Author(s): Brenda Bond, PhD, and Gabrielle Aydnwylde — Publication date: 2010-07-23
Category: Better Government
Abstract: In the past decade, the means and methods of funding public safety initiatives at the local level have undergone a significant shift, resulting in an increased emphasis on the acquisition of grant dollars to close budget gaps. Public safety leaders in local government utilize state and federal grants to reach their agencies’ short and long-term goals, as these grant funds often support capital expenses such as equipment upgrades, operational expenditures such as training, or increasingly, the hiring of personnel. Even as grant funding is now seen as a necessary-if-supplemental source of revenue for many local public safety agencies, the focus and availability of grant money to local governments remains determined by the administrative priorities at the state and federal levels. National Standards Still Don’t Make the Grade [PDF file]
Why Massachusetts and California Must Retain Control Over Their Academic Destinies Part I: Review of Four Sets of English Language Arts Standards*
Author(s): Kathleen Madigan, Sandra Stotsky, and Ze'ev Wurman — Publication date: 2010-07-19
Category: Education
Abstract: The case for national standards rests in part on the need to remedy the inconsistent purposes and inferior quality of many state standards and tests in order to equalize academic expectations for all students. The argument also addresses the urgent need to increase academic achievement for all students. In mathematics and science in particular, the United States needs much higher levels of achievement than its students currently demonstrate for it to remain competitive in a global economy. Playing the Lottery: [PDF file]
The Impact of Interstate Relocation on Massachusetts Jobs
Author(s): John Friar and Megan Gay — Publication date: 2010-06-16
Category: Economic Opportunity
Abstract: Enticing companies to move to Massachusetts and providing special deals to keep companies from moving out of state has been a staple of economic development at the municipal and state levels. These efforts, however, are similar to playing the lottery: we all hear about people who win big prizes; but the odds of doing so are very long, and other than the occasional winner, everybody else loses. This study analyzes the relocation of establishments into and out of Massachusetts for the eighteen-year period before the current recession (1990-2007). The Emperor's New Clothes [PDF file]
National Assessments Based on Weak "College and Career Readiness Standards"
Author(s): Sandra Stotsky and Ze'ev Wurman — Publication date: 2010-05-20
Category: Education
Abstract: During the past year, academic experts, educators, and policy makers have waged a confusing and largely invisible war over the content and quality of Common Core's proposed high school exit and grade-level standards. Some critics see little or no value to national standards, explaining why local or state control is necessary for real innovations in education and why "one size doesn’t fit all" applies as strongly to the school curriculum as it does to the clothing industry. On the other hand, some supporters believe so strongly in the idea of national standards that they appear willing to accept Common Core's standards no matter how inferior they may be to the best sets of state or international standards so long as they are better than most states’ standards. In contrast, others who believe that national standards may have value have found earlier drafts incapable of making American students competitive with those in the highest-achieving countries. No one knows whether Common Core's standards will raise student achievement in all performance categories, simply preserve an unacceptable academic status quo, or actually reduce the percentage of high-achieving high school students in states that adopt them. Municipal Benchmarks for Massachusetts Middle Cities [PDF file]
A Look at Economic Growth
Author(s): Ezra Haber Glenn, AICP — Publication date: 2010-05-12
Category: Economic Opportunity
Abstract: Through its Middle Cities Initiative, the Pioneer Institute has identified 14 cities in Massachusetts that are struggling with a number of related issues, including fiscal management, crime, education, and the need for lasting community and economic development. Despite millions of dollars in state and federal aid and the best intentions of countless activists, public officials, private businesses, and nonprofit organizations, efforts to improve the financial stability and delivery of municipal services in these cities have achieved mixed results at best. In order to inform this ongoing effort, this paper describes a data-driven "benchmarking" methodology to sift through these "mixed" results to identify possible areas of strength as well as places that might be slipping into deeper trouble. The proposed methodology is demonstrated with three particular indicators—the percentage of vacant residential units in a community, the value of owner occupied housing, and the level of commercial and industrial development— although the choice of topics in intended to be illustrative, not exhaustive, and the approach can be easily adapted for use with other data. An Interim Report Card on Massachusetts Health Care Reform: [PDF file]
Part 4: Cost-Effective Quality
Author(s): Amy M. Lischko and Kristin Manzolillo — Publication date: 2010-04-29
Category: Better Government
Abstract: On April 12, 2006, Chapter 58 of the Acts of 2006, entitled "An Act Providing Access to Affordable, Quality, Accountable Health Care" was passed, reforming the Massachusetts health care system. The goals of the legislation were to make health insurance affordable to most every resident and establish mechanisms to help control health care inflation. Facing the Economic Crisis: [PDF file]
Challenges for Massachusetts Police Chiefs
Author(s): Brenda J. Bond, PhD, and Gabrielle Aydnwylde — Publication date: 2010-04-26
Category: Economic Opportunity
Abstract: Police chiefs across Massachusetts are embroiled in an extraordinary management struggle – balancing unrelenting public safety demands while adapting to drastic reductions in resources. The general public may not instinctively think of local police chiefs as executive-level managers engulfed by the financial and operational effectiveness of their organizations, but the exceptional financial state of the Commonwealth and municipalities requires a new level of human and financial management by police chiefs and local administrators. There remain high expectations from the community and local officials as a result of community policing and increased community participation in public safety and increased pressures for transparency and accountability. Municipal Benchmarks for Massachusetts Middle Cities [PDF file]
A Look at Educational Achievement
Author(s): Dr. Robert D. Gaudet — Publication date: 2010-04-05
Category: Economic Opportunity
Abstract: This analysis evaluates the educational performance of the 14 school systems that comprise the Pioneer Institute's Middle Cities Initiative. These communities, which are outside of the Boston metropolitan area, struggle to attract businesses, maintain a viable tax base, control crime, and educate their children to the level needed to succeed in today’s world. Fair to Middling [PDF file]
A National Standards Progress Report
Author(s): R. James Milgram and Sandra Stotsky — Publication date: 2010-04-02
Category: Education
Abstract: Many Americans support the idea of common, or national, standards. They believe that if they are properly designed and appropriately implemented, national standards would ensure that all students, no matter where they live and what school they attend, are taught a body of common national and world knowledge, acquire a mature understanding and use of the English language, and gain enough mathematical knowledge and skill to participate competitively in the 21st century global economy. These results remain to be demonstrated, however, and much depends on the quality and rigor of these standards. An Interim Report Card on Massachusetts Health Care Reform [PDF file]
Part 3: Administrative Efficiency
Author(s): Amy M. Lischko and Kristin Manzolillo — Publication date: 2010-03-24
Category: Economic Opportunity
Abstract: Massachusetts health care reform receives a "B" for administrative efficiency from the third part of Pioneer's Interim Report Card. The report finds that premium rates for individuals were reduced dramatically post-reform through the market merger, but there is only weak evidence that the reform has increased competition in the Massachusetts. In addition, it has added administrative costs overall, and policymakers elsewhere should consider whether the infrastructure costs of a Connector-like structure outweigh the benefits. Beyond Demographic Destiny [PDF file]
An Analysis of Massachusetts Minority and White Student Achievement Gaps
Author(s): Richard Cross, Theodor Rebarber, Kathleen Madigan, and Bruce Bean — Publication date: 2010-03-12
Category: Education
Abstract: While Massachusetts is widely recognized for the high academic achievement of its students when compared to other states, unacceptably large achievement gaps persist between historically under-achieving minority groups—African-American and Hispanic students—and White students.1 Using the 2009 results from the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS), for example, 61 percent of White students in Grade 4 achieved Proficiency in English Language Arts (ELA) but only 29 percent of African-American students in the same grade attained Proficiency, resulting in an achievement gap of 32 percentage points. Heading Down [PDF file]
The Loss of Massachusetts Headquarters
Author(s): John Friar and Megan Gay — Publication date: 2010-03-05
Category: Economic Opportunity
Abstract: This brief is the second in a series on employment trends in Massachusetts from 1990 to 2007, an eighteen- year period leading up to the current recession. From 1990 to 2007, the U.S. experienced net job growth of 26.6%; in the same period Massachusetts experienced a net job loss of 0.3%, losing a total of 11,816 jobs. From 1990 until 2003, Massachusetts job trends roughly followed US trends: losing jobs in 1990-1992 and 2001-2003 due to recessions and gaining jobs in intervening years. Why Race to the Middle? [PDF file]
First-Class State Standards Are Better than Third-Class National Standards
Author(s): Ze'ev Wurman and Sandra Stotsky — Publication date: 2010-02-23
Category: Education
Abstract: The case for national standards rests on more than the need to equalize academic expectations for all students by remedying the uneven and often deplorable quality of most state standards and tests. The case also rests on the urgent need to increase academic achievement for all students. In mathematics and science in particular, we require much higher levels of achievement than our students now demonstrate for this country to remain competitive in the global economy. These goals are not compatible at the secondary school level, and the tensions they create are not easily resolved. For example, although the National Mathematics Advisory Panel recommended 27 major topics for school algebra, it is unreasonable to make them a high school graduation requirement. An Interim Report Card on Massachusetts Health Care Reform [PDF file]
Part 2: Equitable and Sustainable Financing.
Author(s): Amy M. Lischko and Kristin Manzolillo — Publication date: 2010-02-18
Category: Economic Opportunity
Abstract: On April 12, 2006, Chapter 58 of the Acts of 2006, entitled "An Act Providing Access to Affordable, Quality, Accountable Health Care" was passed reforming the Massachusetts health care system. The goals of the legislation were to make health insurance affordable to most every resident and establish mechanisms to help control health care inflation.
Prior to the reform, Massachusetts health care costs exceeded national averages and were growing at faster rates than the nation overall. For example, Massachusetts’ 2004 per capita health expenditure of $6,683 was 27% greater than the national average of $5,283. In addition, health care spending from 2000 to 2004 grew by 7.4% in Massachusetts, compared with 6.9% nationally. Failure to Thrive: [PDF file]
Job Creation and Loss in Massachusetts: 1990 – 2007
Author(s): John Friar and Megan Gay — Publication date: 2010-01-29
Category: Economic Opportunity
Abstract: Failure to Thrive examines employment trends in Massachusetts from 1990 to 2007. In the United States as a whole, the number of employed individuals peaked in December, 2007. Since then, the country has shed 7.3 million jobs. In the past two years, Massachusetts has faced the same economic pressures as the rest of the country, shedding jobs in 2008 and 2009. However, Massachusetts is distinguished from the rest of the U.S. by the fact that it has been shedding jobs since the 2001 recession. Overall, job trends in Massachusetts from 2001 on show a significant and negative divergence from those in the rest of the country. An Interim Report Card on Massachusetts Health Care Reform [PDF file]
Part 1: Increasing Access
Author(s): Amy M. Lischsko and Anand Gopalsami — Publication date: 2010-01-13
Category: Economic Opportunity
Abstract: On April 12, 2006, Chapter 58 of the Acts of 2006, entitled “An Act Providing Access to Affordable, Quality, Accountable Health Care” was passed reforming the Massachusetts health care system. The goals of the legislation were to make health insurance affordable to most every resident and establish mechanisms to help control health care inflation.
The legislation was the product of over two years of work by Administration officials, legislators, health care providers, insurers, and consumer groups. The legislation reformed the health care system by focusing on the role of the individual within the health care system. Specifically, the law modernized health insurance laws, eliminated some of the barriers to purchasing health insurance, transitioned existing government assistance from hospitals to the individual in the form of subsidies to purchase health insurance, encouraged personal responsibility, and attempted to contain health care costs. Putting Children First: [PDF file]
The History of Charter Public Schools in Massachusetts
Author(s): Cara Stillings Candal — Publication date: 2009-11-12
Category: Education
Abstract: For over a decade, Massachusetts has been viewed as a national model for K-12 education reform. One of the first states to significantly revamp an inequitable state formula for school funding that relied too heavily on the local property tax, Massachusetts has also implemented a strong system of academic standards and accountability for student outcomes, one that federal legislators looked to when crafting the No Child Left Behind Act. Because of their wide influence and overwhelming success, these reforms sometimes overshadow another important facet of education policy in Massachusetts that also came into being with the Education Reform Act of 1993—charter public schools. Home to a great number of very successful charter public schools, Massachusetts has been cited as a nationwide leader when it comes to the academic achievement of its charter schools and sensible charter authorization practices. Follow the Money [PDF file]
Charter School and District Funding in Massachusetts
Author(s): Ken Ardon — Publication date: 2009-11-05
Category: Education
Abstract: Charter public schools operate under five-year charters from the Massachusetts Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (BESE) and are not part of traditional local school districts. Charters often organize around a core mission, curriculum, or teaching method. They are free from district management and local collective bargaining agreements, and they control their own budget and hire teachers and staff separately from the local school district. The Know-Nothing Amendments [PDF file]
Barriers to School Choice in Massachusetts
Author(s): Cornelius Chapman — Publication date: 2009-04-04
Category: Education
Abstract: This paper will consider a sad phenomenon in
American history—19th-century nativism and
in particular, anti-Catholic prejudice—and its lingering and deleterious effects on American primary and secondary education. The wave of nativist sentiment that swept through American thought and institutions in the 19th century wiped out an older, pluralistic approach to primary and
secondary education in which the interests of
parents were balanced with those of the state. The purported constitutional grounds for this shift will be shown to rest on an incorrect assumption as to whether the framers of the Constitution intended
to include education within the prohibition of established religions. Public Pensions [PDF file]
Unfair to State Employees, Unfair to Taxpayers
Author(s): Ken Ardon — Publication date: 2009-03-23
Category: Better Government
Abstract: The Public Employee Retirement System covers
all state and local government employees and
retirees in Massachusetts. The state is responsible for retirement costs not only for state employees, but also for teachers. In total, these groups account for 176,000 employees and 96,000 retirees who are covered by the system’s main feature, a mandatory defined benefit pension, jointly funded by employer and employee contributions. Lessons Learned [PDF file]
An Assessment of Select Public-Private Partnerships in Massachusetts
Author(s): Dr. John B. Miller — Publication date: 2008-12-10
Category: Better Government
Abstract: Public-private partnerships are a much misunderstood and still-evolving innovation in transportation infrastructure. Viewed with great suspicion by some as a ‘selling off’ of public goods,it is viewed with great enthusiasm by others as a source of additional revenues. In Massachusetts,
we see public-private partnerships through the lens of recent projects that used private sector participation. This study seeks to examine several of those recent projects to learn about the private
sector’s role and its impact on the project. Life Cycle Delivery of Public Infrastructure [PDF file]
Precedents and Opportunities for the Commonwealth
Author(s): Dr. John B. Miller — Publication date: 2008-12-01
Category: Better Government
Abstract: Life-cycle delivery of infrastructure projects
demands our attention. As the Commonwealth
faces the interlocking threats of massive funding
deficits, creeping levels of deferred maintenance,
and unabated demands for expansion, publicprivate
partnerships (PPPs) offer some potential
relief. But, unless properly implemented and
monitored, PPPs can also be a hindrance to
strategic transportation planning and responsible
budgeting. This report summarizes the
opportunities and challenges PPPs present and
recommends a strategy Massachusetts should
follow in the future that adds life-cycle approaches
to infrastructure delivery, a strategy based on
delivering “value for money” and which demands
improved levels of service, durable employment,
and decreasing costs to users and taxpayers. Regionalization [PDF file]
Case Studies of Success and Failure in Massachusetts
Author(s): Pioneer Institute — Publication date: 2008-10-08
Category: Better Government
Abstract: Regionalization is a perennial favorite. In its various incarnations – inter-local agreements, shared services, regionalism – it is popular in theory and universally acknowledged to save money but not as widespread as one might expect. The urge to regionalize goes through periods of intense interest when budgets are tight, then is frequently ended by bureaucratic inertia and
parochialism. Vocational-Technical Education in Massachusetts [PDF file]
Author(s): Alison L. Fraser — Publication date: 2008-10-03
Category: Education
Abstract: Massachusetts, a pioneer in many ways, has
always been at the forefront of vocationaltechnical
education. A century ago, the Smith
Vocational and Agricultural High School opened
in Northampton. Smith is still operating today,
and is the forerunner to a mode of education
that remains vitally important to the state’s
workforce. Massachusetts’ Vocational-Technical
Education (VTE) is a unique method of academic,
career, and extracurricular activity that creates
a comprehensive blend of opportunity and
advancement. School Choice Without Vouchers [PDF file]
Expanding Education Options Through Tax Benefits
Author(s): William Howell and Mindy Spencer — Publication date: 2007-10-01
Category: Education
Abstract: The school choice movement has suffered
a number of severe setbacks during the last
decade. California and Michigan voters rejected school voucher ballot initiatives in 2000, state courts in Colorado and Florida ruled that their voucher programs were unconstitutional, and during negotiations over the No Child Left Behind Act, President Bush abandoned provisions that would allow students in failing
public schools to switch to private schools.
Our Legacy of Neglect [PDF file]
The Longfellow Bridge and the Cost of Deferred Maintenance
Author(s): David Westerling and Steve Poftak — Publication date: 2007-07-31
Category: Better Government
Abstract: Bridges are the physical manifestation of
vital connections between communities. The
Longfellow Bridge connects two economic and
cultural powerhouses - Boston and Cambridge
- yet suffers from such neglect and disrepair
that reconstruction may cost several times more than the price of simply building a new bridge.The bridge’s problems, clearly visible to the naked eye but even more dramatic below the surface, are symptomatic of a statewide failure to maintain our public assets.... Managing Water Demand [PDF file]
Price vs. Non-Price Conservation Programs
Author(s): Sheila M. Olmstead and Robert N. Stavins — Publication date: 2007-07-18
Category: Economic Opportunity
Abstract: Even though the Commonwealth is
blessed with adequate rainfall and full reservoirs,many towns greet summer with watering bans and other draconian conservation tactics that seem
better suited to the desert Southwest. Why?
Economists Sheila Olmstead and Robert Stavins,in their new Pioneer Institute study Managing Water Demand, argue that heavy-handed, punitive restrictions on water use are not only expensive, but often ineffective. Rehabbing Urban Redevelopment [PDF file]
Working Paper on Building the Next Urban Economy
Author(s): Jim Stergios, Executive Director, Pioneer Institute — Publication date: 2007-02-08
Category: Economic Opportunity
Abstract: While the Commonwealth’s economy faces slow growth in wages and tax revenues, our costs – especially housing – remain sky high. To confront both slow growth and high costs, there are concrete policy steps that could transform older industrial cities – the Middle Cities – into engines of economic growth. “Rehabbing Urban Redevelopment,” by Pioneer Executive Director Jim Stergios, makes the case for comprehensive strategies that, in some cases, have already led to more jobs, more housing, and healthier municipal balance sheets.
Please note: This is a working paper and we welcome any feedback on its content, especially on benchmarking and our other policy recommendations.Feedback should be directed to Steve Poftak.
Powerpoint presentation also available. Housing and Land Use Policy in Massachusetts [PDF file]
Reforms for Affordability, Sustainability, and Superior Design
Author(s): Amy Dain — Publication date: 2007-02-01
Category: Economic Opportunity
Abstract: Massachusetts' is burdened by housing-price hyperinflation, loss of population, poorly designed neighborhoods, and sprawling, environmentally destructive development. Amy Dain presents detailed evidence of how aggressive, convoluted zoning - not a shortage of land - undermines the proper function of the housing market. Dain also presents detailed, actionable proposals for state-level efforts that could make affordable, environmentally sound development the path of least resistance for communities and developers. Housing Programs in Weak Market Neighborhoods [PDF file]
Developing the Right Tools for Urban Revitalization
Author(s): Peter A. Gagliardi, Executive Director HAP, Inc. — Publication date: 2006-12-01
Category: Economic Opportunity
Abstract: While housing affordability is an important state policy goal, a new Pioneer Institute report details how well-meaning state policies may actually hurt the revitalization of poorer communities. The study finds that most state programs are intended to ensure affordability in the state's heated housing markets. In neighborhoods with weak housing markets, vacant properties, abandoned buildings, and aging infrastructure, these programs are counterproductive: restricting homeowners' equity, discouraging the sale of redeveloped properties and concentrating poverty.
Author Peter Gagliardi details how certain policy tools, such as deed restrictions on the resale of properties and extremely restrictive homebuyer eligibility criteria, "are not well suited to achieving the goal of revitalization" of low-income communities with weak housing markets. Gagliardi also makes detailed recommendations for the development of better urban revitalization policy tools. Education Reform in Massachusetts (1) [PDF file]
Aligning District Curricula with State Frameworks
Author(s): Jamie Gass and Grant Wynn — Publication date: 2006-11-01
Category: Education
Abstract: While Massachusetts taxpayers have spent over $40 billion on public education since 1993, new Pioneer Institute research shows essential mandates of the Education Reform Act—the development of district curriculum standards and the use of student data to improve performance —have been neglected by many school districts. These new studies, produced by Pioneer’s Center for School Reform, analyze school district performance assessment data reported by the Massachusetts Office of Educational Quality and Accountability (EQA).
Each study focuses on a different EQA accountability measure. One evaluates districts’ progress in developing district curricula and aligning them with the state’s curriculum frameworks; the other considers districts’ use of MCAS data to direct their reform efforts. Education Reform in Massachusetts (2) [PDF file]
Using Student Data to Improve District Performance
Author(s): Jamie Gass and Grant Wynn — Publication date: 2006-11-01
Category: Education
Abstract: While Massachusetts taxpayers have spent over $40 billion on public education since 1993, new Pioneer Institute research shows essential mandates of the Education Reform Act—the development of district curriculum standards and the use of student data to improve performance —have been neglected by many school districts. These new studies, produced by Pioneer’s Center for School Reform, analyze school district performance assessment data reported by the Massachusetts Office of Educational Quality and Accountability (EQA).
Each study focuses on a different EQA accountability measure. One evaluates districts’ progress in developing district curricula and aligning them with the state’s curriculum frameworks; the other considers districts’ use of MCAS data to direct their reform efforts. |
|
